Hands off! Pennsylvania law makes it illegal to touch a pregnant woman's belly

A Pennsylvania law makes it illegal to touch a pregnant woman's belly.Getty Images/Comstock Images

Pregnant women's bellies can be the subject of lots of unwanted touching, but in Pennsylvania they have some legal protection.

A state law has gotten a lot of attention in the past week because it makes it illegal to touch a pregnant woman's belly without her permission.

The law has been on the books for years, according to WPXI, but is getting renewed attention because it is being used to charge a man with harassment after he touched a woman's pregnant belly.

"Essentially, someone had touched a pregnant woman's belly. That's very common that pregnant women have to go through that. The only problem is when you harass, annoy, alarm in the act of touching, then it's a violation, a harassment charge," said attorney Phil DiLucente, who was familiar with the law.

The law drew a lot of attention on social media:

Rubbing pregnant bellies may be illegal: It was my least favorite part of being pregnant, hands down: Family, ... http://t.co/ViAhGqbXRy

CNN reported a general theme on their social media accounts of users agreeing that people shouldn't just go around touching pregnant women's bellies, or any person's body parts, without their permission. There was some disagreement about whether or not it should be a crime though.

"People get excited over babies. Yes they sometimes touch your belly without asking, but should it really be criminalized? Come on, America. Lets stop being ridiculous," wrote Jade Anderson Fallaw on CNN's Facebook page.

But others think it should be a criminal offense, like Irene Issaias who writes, "Any unwanted physical contact is an assault and battery so yes it is and should be illegal if it is not consented to by the mother."

What do you think? Watch the video from WPXI below then share your thoughts in the comments: Should it be crime to touch a pregnant woman's belly?